Man Charged With Murder in Vice Principal’s Death
The alleged killer of a Downey vice principal was charged with murder with special circumstance allegations that could bring the death penalty if he is convicted.
Gilbert Raul Rubio, 36, was charged with one count of murder with the special circumstance allegation that he shot Earl Warren High School Vice Principal George Blackwell to death during a residential robbery and burglary.
Rubio, who had recently finished a prison term for a drug conviction, appeared in Long Beach Municipal Court briefly Wednesday, but his arraignment was postponed until Jan. 22.
Blackwell, a popular administrator, was found mortally wounded in his Long Beach home shortly after neighbors heard a series of shots about 5:20 p.m. Monday. Rubio, a Los Angeles resident, was arrested nearby.
After a preliminary hearing, prosecutors will decide whether to seek the death penalty for Rubio, said district attorney’s office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.
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